EFFECTS OF POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT AND RESPONSE COST COUNSELLING TECHNIQUES ON ATTENTION DEFICIT HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER (ADHD) SYMPTOMS AMONG PRIMARY SCHOOL PUPILS IN KANO METROPOLIS

Abstract
This study employs a quasi-experiment, pre-test post-test control group design in investigating the effects of positive reinforcement and response cost counselling techniques on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms among primary school pupils in Kano Metropolis. The main objective is to find out whether positive reinforcement and response cost counselling techniques can be effective in reducing ADHD symptoms among primary school pupils in Kano Metropolis. Twelve research questions with corresponding null hypotheses were formulated to guide the study.The population comprises of 61 ADHD primary five pupils.The sample was 36 (18 male and 18 females) drawn from three public primary schools (Dorayi, Chiranchi and Rijiyar Zaki). An instrument tagged ‘ADHD Symptoms Checklist’ which is in line with the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorder was adapted and used for the study. The study lasted for 12 weeks in which 9 children were treated with the positive reinforcement technique, 9 received the response cost intervention and 18 ADHD pupilsconstituted the control group.Data were analyzed using mean scores for the research questions, t-test for independent samples was used for hypotheses 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, t-test for dependent samples for hypotheses 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 andone way analysis of variance (ANOVA) for hypothesis 6.Finding indicates that positive reinforcement technique had significantly reduced the symptoms of inattentiveness, hyperactivity and impulsivity among primary school pupils. Finding also revealed that response cost counselling techniquesignificantly reduced the symptoms ofinattentiveness, hyperactivity and impulsivity among primary school pupils. Another finding revealed that the two counselling techniques were found to have similar effects on inattentiveness, hyperactivity and impulsivity symptoms reduction. In the case of male and female respondents treated with the positive reinforcement technique, no significant difference was observed in the ADHD symptoms scores. On the other hand, the response cost technique was found to have different effect between male and female respondents, hence the technique is gender sensitive. Recommendations are made which include, since the two techniques were found to be effective on inattentiveness, hyperactivity and impulsivity symptoms reduction, school counsellors should utilize the technique in their counselling practice either through individual or group counselling.Since the two techniques have no differential effects on inattentiveness, hyperactivity and impulsivity symptoms reduction, teachers and school counsellors should utilize the technique of positive reinforcement in rewarding desired behaviour and the response cost technique in punishing unwanted behaviours displayed by pupils during classroom instruction instead of physical punishment. Also parents training programs should be developed to increase parenting skills. These should focus on increasing parents’ skills in managing their children’s behaviour, facilitating social skills development, and encouraging parents’ positive interaction with their child.
Description
A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE SCHOOL OF POSTGRADUATE STUDIES, AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY, ZARIA, THROUGH THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY AND COUNSELLING IN PARTIAL FULFIMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE AWARD OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY IN GUIDANCE AND COUNSELLING
Keywords
REINFORCEMENT, COUNSELLING, TECHNIQUES, ATTENTION DEFICIT HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER (ADHD) SYMPTOMS, KANO, METROPOLIS
Citation
Collections